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Is  Rhode  Island 
A  Thoughtful  Father 


TO  ITS 


Little  Children  ? 


CHILD  WELFARE  DIVISION 
STATE  BOARD  OF  HEALTH 


Columbia  ®mtjers;itj> 

COLLEGE  OF  PHYSICIANS 
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IS  RHODE  ISLAND  A 

THOLoxiTFUL  FATHER  TO  ITS 

LITTLE  CHILDREN  ? 


A  TENTATIVE  SURVEY 

COMPILED  UNDEB  THE  DIRECTION  09 

ELIZABETH  M.  GARDINER,  M.  D. 

(Director  R,  I.  Division  of  Child  Welfare.) 


M.  B.  Still  WELL,  A.  B.,  and 
Habold  a.  Andrews,  LL.  B. 


PROVIDENCE 

1920 


THE  following  sketch  is  the  first  of  a  series  of 
publications  regarding  certain  things  which 
Rhode  Island  is  doing,  and  ought  to  do,  to 
safeguard  the  health  of  its  children — a  study 
which  was  authorized  by  the  Rhode  Island  Legis- 
lature in  April,  1919. 

This  sketch  relates  to  the  health  of  babies  and 
of  children  under  school  age.  It  has  been  issued 
for  the  purpose  of  carrying  to  Rhode  Island  homes 
a  knowledge  of  this  phase  of  Child  Welfare  work. 

It  has,  in  addition,  another  purpose.  It  is 
intended  as  a  starting  point  for  a  comparative 
study  between  laws  and  conditions  in  Rhode 
Island  and  those  in  other  states.  And  it  is  hoped 
that  this  survey  will  lead  to  public  support  and 
the  legislation  which  may  be  necessary  for  the 
further  development  of  the  work. 

Elizabeth  M.  Gardiner,  M.  D., 

Director. 
Division  of  Child  Welfare, 
R.  I.  State  Board  of  Health. 

December  15,  1919. 

3 


IS  RHODE  ISLAND  A 

THOUGHTFUL  FATHER  TO  ITS 

LITTLE  CHILDREN  ? 


The.  answer  to  this  question  is  not  wholly  satis- 
factory. In  some  of  its  provisions,  Rhode  Island 
is  a  kindly  father.  In  others,  it  is  strangely 
negligent. 

In  the  wake  of  the  War  lies  a  trail  of  problems, 
national  as  well  as  international.  Their  solution 
is  unknown.  Their  final  outcome  no  one  can 
predict.     Of  one  thing  only  are  we  certain. 

The  future  of  this  country — possibly  its 
existence  as  a  nation — depends  upon  the  care,  or 
lack  of  care,  which  is  given  to  the  present  genera- 
tion of  young  Americans. 

As  Dr.  Crane  has  written,  "Vast  problems  press 
upon  us.  The  world  is  upturned.  The  masses 
seethe  in  the  ferment  of  untried  theories.  Yet 
the  way  is  so  simple!    It  lies  through  the  child." 

Therefore,  back  of  the  Americanization  move- 
ment; back  of  all  schemes  for  political  and  social 
betterment;  more  fundamental  even  than  Educa- 


tion  itself  is  the  question  of  the  health  and  moral 
welfare  of  the  children.  "WTiolesome  morals  do 
not  develop  from  unwholesome  conditions.  A 
normal  body  is  the  first  step  toward  a  sound  mind 
and  sound  principles. 

Here  is  Rhode  Island  an  industrial  community. 
Our  mills  and  shops  are  full  of  workers.  Many 
of  our  streets  swarm  with  little  children.  In  their 
hands  lies  the  future  of  the  State,  and  the  part 
which  the  State  will  play  in  national  affairs. 
Are  we  making  necessary  provision  for  the 
children's  health  and  welfare?  If  not,  have  we 
the  will  to  make  whatever  additional  provision 
may  be  necessary? 

It  is  in  the  answer  to  questions  such  as  these 
that  we  find  a  key  to  the  fate  which  lies  before  us. 
This  is  a  time  for  thought  and  for  serious  con- 
sideration. It  is  a  time  for  a  survey  of  ourselves 
as  we  are.  Investigation  only  is  of  small  avail. 
It  is  action,  based  upon  consideration,  that  will 
bring  results. 

First  then,  what  is  Rhode  Island  doing  to  safe- 
guard the  health  of  its  little  children?  Secondly, 
what  should  Rhode  Island  do? 

6 


When  a  new  citizen  is  bom  to  us,  the  State  at 
once  attends  to  two  matters  of  importance — first, 
that  the  child's  eyesight  may  not  be  impaired  from 
lack  of  proper  care;  and  secondly,  that  the  child 
shall  be  officially  registered  and  received  to  citizen- 
ship. The  State  Board  of  Health  provides  the 
silver  nitrate  to  be  dropped  in  the  baby's  eyes, 
as  a  preventive  to  blindness,  and  the  State  law 
makes  this  preventive  measure  the  duty  of  the 
physician,  midwife,  or  nurse.  But  the  law  does 
not  require  the  birth  to  be  registered  promptly 
enough  to  aid  the  agencies  engaged  in  preventing 
infant  mortality. 

The  little  children,  who  for  one  reason  or  an- 
other are  boarded  in  homes  other  than  those  of 
relatives  or  legal  guardians,  are  given  fatherly 
supervision  by  the  State  in  the  licensing  and  in- 
specting of  boarding  homes  for  infants.  Accord- 
ing to  the  framing  of  the  law,  this  supervision  does 
not  extend  to  such  philanthropic  homes  as  have 
been  incorporated.  Doubtless,  these  homes  by 
their  very  nature  are  well  run  and  in  them,  un- 
doubtedly, everything  possible  is  being  done  for 
the  welfare  of  the  little   children  committed  to 


their  care.  It  is  evident  that  the  State  feels 
justified  in  taking  this  for  granted  and  thinks  it 
quite  unnecessary  to  make  sure  that  this  is  so. 

Only  the  slightest  protection  is  afforded  the 
unborn  children  who,  from  disregard  on  the  part 
of  the  State,  may  come  into  the  world  mentally 
deficient.  The  chapter  of  Marriage  Laws  makes 
only  a  feeble  attempt  to  safeguard  the  child,  and 
State,  against  this  handicap.  In  laws  apparently 
contemporary  with  Moses,  it  is  provided  that  no 
man  shall  be  permitted  to  marry  his  "mother," 
his  "grandmother,"  his  "son's  daughter,"  his 
"father's  sister,"  or  similar  relatives.  But  aside 
from  persons  in  the  care  of  institutions,  nothing 
is  done  to  prevent  marriage  or  procreation  by 
persons  who  in  themselves  are  feeble-minded! 

However  if,  when  a  child  is  bom,  it  prove  to  be 
an  imbecile,  then  it  may  be  accepted  by  the  State 
as  a  beneficiary  and  assigned  to  a  suitable  institu- 
tion or  school — provided  that,  as  at  the  present 
time,  our  State  school  is  not  already  overcrowded. 
And  if,  in  spite  of  precautions  after  birth,  a  little 
child  should  lose  its  sight,  maintenance  and  educa- 
tion are  provided  by  the  State,  if  such  aid  is 
necessary. 

8 


Thus  does  the  State  aim  to  prevent  the  afflic- 
tions from  becoming  so  heavy  a  drain  upon  the 
family  income  that  its  standards  of  home  life  may 
be  lowered  and  its  members  a  possible  future 
public  charge.  It  has  not  as  yet  taken  measures 
to  prevent  the  cause  of  the  affliction.  Rhode 
Island  laws  do  nothing  to  prevent  the  marriage 
of  persons  who  are  feeble-minded  or  of  persons 
who  have  a  venereal  disease.  Yet,  according  to 
the  digest  of  "American  Marriage  Laws"  just 
issued  by  the  Russell  Sage  Foundation,  there  are 
23  states  in  which  the  marriage  of  imbeciles  is 
prohibited,  and  11  states  in  which  the  statutes 
forbid  the  marriage  of  persons  afflicted  with  the 
diseases  of  immorality. 

It  is  not  the  function  of  any  State  to  usurp  the 
rights  of  the  people.  It  is  not  its  function  to 
dictate  to  them  their  manner  of  life.  But  it  is  the 
duty  of  the  State,  for  its  own  protection  and  for 
the  welfare  of  the  community  and  its  members,  to 
guide  and  to  protect  the  development  of  the  home 
whenever  its  members  are  unable  to  do  so  for 
themselves.     It  has  long  been  considered  proper 


for  the  State  to  give  financial  aid  to  persons  who 
are  in  want.  And  in  connection  with  such  aid, 
the  State,  through  its  various  boards  and  com- 
missions, sometimes  takes  occasion  to  give  advice 
or  guidance  in  practical  affairs. 

It  is  not  the  poor  alone  who  are  in  need  of 
guidance  in  questions  relating  to  the  health  of 
children  and  to  personal  hygiene.  Unfortunately 
there  are  many,  many  homes  in  which,  from  lack 
of  knowledge,  the  proper  kind  of  care  is  not  given 
to  prospective  mothers  or  to  new-born  children. 
Ignorance  in  such  matters  is  criminal,  in  the 
unnecessary  suffering  which  it  inflicts  upon  the 
helpless. 

In  Massachusetts,  a  bill  is  being  prepared  for 
the  next  Legislature  seeking  to  provide  that  in- 
struction, nursing  and  medical  care  shall  be  given 
for  a  reasonable  time  before  and  after  childbirth 
to  any  woman  who  has  been  a  resident  of  the 
Commonwealth  for  the  two  preceding  years. 

This  is  declared  a  public  health  measure.  Its 
benefits  are  free  to  all  persons  regardless  of 
financial  condition.  The  mother  has  only  to 
agree  to  carry  out  such  instructions  in  hygiene  and 


10 


medical  care  aa  are  given  her  by  the  State  Board 
of  Health,  before  and  after  confinement.  By 
this  clever  bit  of  moral  suasion,  the  Legislators 
seek,  for  the  good  of  the  State,  to  provide  it  with 
healthy  citizens  for  the  future,  and  to  safeguard 
the  integrity  of  its  homes  from  the  loss  of  the 
mother.  It  would  be  well  if  Rhode  Island  also 
were  to  make  some  such  provision.  It  would 
constitute  the  most  valuable  measure  known,  for 
the  prevention  of  maternal  and  infant  mortality. 

In  Rhode  Island,  the  aid  given  young  mothers 
is  left  to  local  officials  and  to  philanthropic  agen- 
cies— if  any  exist.  And  the  work  of  these  ofiicials 
and  agencies  is  more  from  the  point  of  view  of 
charity  than  of  public  health.  How  about  the 
industrial  towns  lying  between  Ashton  and  Woon- 
socket,  or  the  districts  around  Scituate,  Foster, 
Green,  Little  Compton,  Portsmouth  and  other 
sections  of  the  State  in  which  there  is  not  a  single 
District  Nursing  Association  to  give  the  young 
mother  help  or  advice? 

To  be  sure,  in  Providence  when  charity-cases 
come  to  the  notice  of  the  local  Board  of  Health, 
if  the  mother  remains  at  home,  a  physician  paid 


11 


by  the  city  is  sent  to  attend  her;  or  a  midwife 
licensed  by  the  State  and  trained  by  the  Provi- 
dence Board  of  Health  may  remain  with  the 
mother  a  week.  The  family  then  comes  under 
the  supervision  of  one  of  the  two  "baby  nurses" 
employed  by  the  local  Board  of  Health.  This 
nurse  instructs  the  mother  in  the  care  and  feeding 
of  the  baby  and  keeps  an  eye  upon  affairs  at  the 
home  for  the  first  month.  On  the  other  hand,  if 
the  mother  applies  for  admission  as  a  free  patient 
at  the  Lying-in-Hospital,  her  name  is  simulta- 
neously put  on  file  with  the  Providence  District 
Nursing  Association  who  "follow  up"  the  case 
immediately  after  the  mother  is  discharged  from 
the  hospital. 

For  the  benefit  of  these  mothers,  and  also  for 
any  of  its  young  mothers  who  may  request  them, 
the  Providence  Board  of  Health  has  issued  a 
series  of  leaflets  which  give  suggestions  for  proper 
feeding,  the  regulation  of  sleep,  and  even  recipes 
for  the  preparing  of  food.  These  leaflets  are  pub- 
lished in  English,  Yiddish,  Italian,  Portuguese, 
and  Polish.  Also,  prenatal  clinics  for  young 
mothers  are  held  at  Federal  Hill  House,   and 


12 


^'baby  clinics"  are  held  weekly  at  the  Providence 
Day  Nursery,  Federal  Hill  House,  and  the  Point 
Street  School. 

All  this  is  excellent,  so  far  as  it  goes —  and  a 
remarkable  bit  of  community  cooperation.  But 
after  all,  it  relates  mainly  to  work  among  the 
poor,  and  it  is  purely  local! 

The  Massachusetts  bill  is  not  aimed  at  poverty. 
It  is  aimed  at  lack  of  proper  knowledge.  It  is 
as  it  says,  "a,  public  health  measure."  Its  object 
is  to  secure  healthy  babies  among  all  classes  of 
persons.  Its  aim  is  to  secure  healthy  citizens, 
for  its  own  welfare  in  the  future.  Rhode  Island, 
also,  has  a  future  for  which  it  should  provide.* 

Another  means  which  a  farsighted  state  may 
employ  for  its  own  welfare  is  through  laws  for  the 
inspection  of  milk  and  for  the  purity  of  foods. 
Especial  care  must  be  exercised  over  the  foods 
which  nourish  growing  children. 

In  Rhode  Island,  the  State  milk  laws  are  not 
adequate  to  safeguard  the  health  of  all  its  children. 
Tuberculin  tests  of  cattle,  for  instance,  are  made 
by  the  Board  of  Agriculture  only  upon  request. 

*See  also:    Appendix  C. 

13 


The  Pure  Food  and  Drug  Commission  has  legal 
power  to  inspect  dairies  if  it  wishes,  but  it  has  no 
means  of  coercing  unlicensed  producers. 

In  the  chapter  of  Milk  Laws,  it  is  required  that, 
in  the  cities,  milk  dealers  must  be  licensed  and 
trade  milk  must  be  inspected.  But  it  is  left  for 
the  towns  to  decide  for  themselves  as  to  whether 
or  not  they  shall  adopt  these  regulations.  And 
their  decision,  naturally,  is  affected  by  considera- 
tion of  the  expense  involved. 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  a  good  proportion  of  our 
mill  workers  live  in  towns;  northern  Rhode  Island 
is  a  chain  of  "mill-villages."  And,  so  far  as  milk 
is  concerned,  the  State  neglects  to  provide  for 
the  welfare  of  the  children  living  outside  of  the 
few  Rhode  Island  cities.  The  law  forbids  the 
adulteration  of  milk,  yet  in  the  towns,  the  State 
requires  no  inspection  of  trade  milk.  It  is  left 
for  the  consumer  "to  complain"  if  he  has  reason 
to  think  that  the  milk  may  be  adulterated  and 
that — in  spite  of  the  willingness  of  the  Pure  Food 
and  Drug  Commission  to  test  whatever  samples 
a  consumer  may  submit — is  at  best  only  a  hit  or 
miss  method  of  securing  pure  milk  for  the  public 


14 


as  a  whole.  If  New  York  city  with  its  millions 
of  persons  to  serve  can,  daj'-  after  day,  provide  its 
citizens  with  certified  or  guaranteed  milk,  the 
task  cannot  be  impracticable.  As  always,  it  rests 
with  the  people.     Their  will  is  the  State's  will. 

And  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  Rhode  Island's 
standard  for  butter  fats  in  milk,  23^^%,  is  among 
the  lowest  in  the  country,  there  is  agitation  at  the 
present  moment  to  have  the  standard  in  this 
State  reduced  still  lower.  Are  we  deUberately 
about  to  give  legal  sanction  to  the  undernourishing 
of  Rhode  Island's  children? 

The  cost  of  milk  is  another  aspect  of  the  ques- 
tion to  be  considered:  In  order  to  help  the  sick 
babies  of  the  poorer  families  of  Providence,  milk 
is  sold  below  trade  price  at  the  Milk  Stations 
which  are  run  under  the  kindly  auspices  of  the 
Housewives'  League.  These  stations  are  located 
at  the  Providence  Day  Nursery  in  Olneyville  and 
at  the  Federal  Hill  House  in  the  Italian  district. 
Through  them  milk  of  a  good  grade  (whose 
bacterial  count  and  contents  of  solids  and  fats  are 
carefully  watched)  is  sold,  in  bottles,  at  the  rate 
of  15  cents  a  quart.     It  is  sold,  however,  only  to 


15 


families  which,  because  of  their  extreme  need, 
have  been  granted  a  milk  ticket  by  a  physician, 
a  representative  of  the  District  Nursing  Associa- 
tion, or  of  the  Providence  Society  for  Organizing 
Charity.  Only  relatively  few  families  therefore, 
and  those  the  acknowledged  "poor,"  are  allowed 
this  privilege. 

This,  then,  is  a  consideration  for  those  who 
should  bestir  themselves  to  reduce  the  cost  of 
living.  In  Providence,  by  the  aid  of  philan- 
throphy,  milk  is  sold  to  the  most  needy  households 
at  the  reduced  rate  of  15  cents  a  quart! 

How  about  those  who  are  poor  but  do  not  ask 
for  aid?  How  about  the  physique  of  children  in 
the  average  family,  brought  up  at  a  time  when 
milk  costs  from  15  to  20  cents  a  quart,  sugar  20 
cents  a  pound,  and  all  other  food  stuffs  are  pro- 
portionately high?  Every  bowl  of  oatmeal  and 
milk  has  become  an  item  in  the  household  budget. 
Malnutrition  is  a  shadow.  It  is  absolutely  in- 
separable from  the  High  Cost  of  Living — and  the 
community  pays  in  the  end.  The  undernourished 
child  can  not  be  expected  to  become  the  ideal 
citizen,  sound  in  mind  and  body.     He  is  irritable 


16 


in  disposition,  mentally  dull,  and  invariably 
stunted  in  physical  development. 

According  to  a  recent  statement  by  Dr.  Emer- 
son, over  one  third  of  the  school  children  in  the 
United  States  are  habitually  under-nourished. 
And  in  a  recent  report.  Dr.  Carpenter  states  that 
of  25,000,000  children  in  our  country,  at  least 
15,000,000  are  underweight,  and  of  these  6,000,000 
are  so  far  below  weight  that  they  cannot  become 
healthy  adults. 

This  is  not  a  record  to  be  proud  of.  The 
question  for  us  to  answer  is — How  many  of  these 
undernourished  children  are  in  the  rural  and  the 
overcrowded  industrial  section  of  Rhode  Island? 
Unfortunately  not  a  small  per  cent.* 

And  another  point  brought  to  light  by  the 
report  recently  issued  by  the  Providence  Milk 
Inspector  is  the  fact  that  42.3%  of  the  milk  for 
pasteurization  which  was  brought  to  Providence 
dairies  from  unlicensed  producers  exceeded  the 
bacterial  maximum  of  500,000  per  cubic  centi- 
meter. In  some  cases,  especially  in  milk  brought 
from  Connecticut,  the  bacteria  equalled  2,000,000- 
10,000,000,  or  even  20,000,000  per  cu.  cm.    The 

*  The  survey  of  schools  just  started  by  the  Providence  Board  of 
Health,  already  proves  this  to  be  true. 

17 


bacteria,  to  be  sure,  are  supposed  to  be  killed  by 
the  process  of  pasteurization.  But,  since  it  is 
true  that  certain  disease  producing  organisms  in- 
crease in  number  along  with  the  growth  of  general 
bacteria  and  are  not  killed  by  pasteurization — 
the  question  arises,  should  not  there  be  a  regula- 
tion to  prohibit  the  pasteurization  of  milk  having 
bacteria  in  excess  of  a  given  number,  i.  e.,  milk 
that  is  too  old.  This  is  a  question  not  only  for  the 
chemists  to  answer  but  for  every  purchaser  of 
pasteurized  milk.  The  inspectors  cannot  exceed 
the  powers  accorded  by  the  statutes  of  the  State. 
As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  chapter  of  Milk  Laws 
entirely  omits  all  consideration  of  bacteria. 

In  addition  to  its  climes,  the  Providence  Day 
Nursery  has  an  average  enrollment  of  70  children 
who  may  be  left  there  each  day  by  mothers  on 
their  way  to  work.  The  Carter  Day  Nursery, 
St.  Anne's,  St.  Raphael's  and  the  Salvation  Army 
Day  Nursery  have  an  enrollment  of  154,  150, 
60,  and  35  children,  respectively,  who  are  given 
similar  care  while  their  mothers  are  employed. 
Providence  is  fortunate  indeed — but  these  nurse- 


18 


ries  are  philanthropic  and,  like  those  elsewhere  in 
the  State,  they  are  purely  local.  There  are  many 
places  where  there  are  none. 

The  pitiful  part  of  it  is  that,  splendid  and 
necessary  as  their  work  is,  it  can  after  all  reach 
only  relatively  few  of  the  many  children  who  need 
such  care.  And  even  so,  a  nursery  is  a  substitute 
for  the  child's  own  home  life.  It  is  a  kindly  effort 
to  give  the  child  something  of  what  it  is  deprived. 
It  is  charity's  way  of  making  the  best  of  un- 
fortunate circumstances  and  of  doing  its  best  to 
relieve  distress.  If  the  State  believes  in  home 
life  and  not  in  communism,  it  should  strike  at  the 
root  of  the  matter.  It  should  consider  what 
should  be  done  to  preserve  the  home  itself. 

For  instance,  Rhode  Island  gives  no  pensions 
to  aid  the  many  widowed  mothers  who  are  forced 
to  support  their  children.  It  is  physically  im- 
possible to  work  all  day  and  to  care  for  a  home 
efficiently  at  night.  One  task  or  the  other  must 
be  slighted.  If  the  father  is  dead,  insane,  or 
incapacitated,  the  mother  must  take  his  place. 
Money  must  be  earned.  Her  work  must  be  well 
done  or  her  job  is  lost.    A  tired  mother  goes 


19 


home  at  night.  Her  household  tasks  await  her. 
It  is  surprising  that  her  children  receive  as  much 
motherly  attention  as  they  often  do.  It  is  only 
inborn  Mother-love  which  makes  a  women  so 
often  try  to  be  superhuman.  And  her  struggle  is 
full  of  pathos. 

Would  it  be  charity  for  the  State  to  help  her, 
at  least  until  her  children  are  of  school  age,  if  her 
need  and  worth  were  proved?  No.  Not  charity 
— merely  common  sense,  a  "public  health  meas- 
ure," "a  prophylaxis  against  physical  degeneracy 
and  moral  delinquency."  In  the  family  pocket- 
book  of  the  State,  "an  ounce  of  prevention  is 
worth  a  pound  of  cure."  It  is  as  unwise  for  the 
State  as  for  an  individual  to  ignore  the  morrow, 
in  order  to  obtain  more  comfort  for  today. 

As  it  is,  one  of  two  fates  usually  awaits  the 
little  children  of  working  mothers.  Either  they 
are  well  cared  for  by  some  philanthropic  agency, 
outside  the  natural  home;  or,  as  is  more  fre- 
quently the  case,  they  are  left  during  the  day  to 
the  questionable  care  of  older  children,  the 
"little  mothers"  of  America.    In  fact,  so  im- 


20 


portant  are  these  little  mothers  in  the  life  of  all 
foreign  communities,  that  New  York  city  gives 
annually  in  all  public  schools  a  lecture  on  the 
ABC  of  baby  care — cleanliness,  fresh  air,  proper 
food,  and  sleep.  And  in  many  schools,  the  girls 
over  twelve  years  of  age  are  given  a  systematic 
course  in  baby  care.  It  is  these  young  girls  who 
will  be  the  mothers  of  our  future  citizens. 

Of  the  feasibility  of  such  a  scheme  of  instruc- 
tion much  may  be  said,  for  and  against.  It  is 
true,  it  adds  one  more  topic  to  a  full  school 
schedule.  It  runs  the  danger,  through  criticism 
of  home  methods,  of  possibly  widening  the  gulf 
which  exists  between  some  foreign-born  parents 
and  their  American-educated  children. 

Yet  the  future  must  be  reckoned  with.  The 
State  believes  in  the  home.  The  theories  of  home 
life  so  far  maintained  by  its  institutions  are  a 
development  of  the  ideals  established  by  our 
forefathers.  It  is  essential  for  us  to  look  facts 
squarely  in  the  face.  We  now  have  in  our  midst 
a  horde  of  unassimilated  Americans.  Many  are 
still  foreign-speaking.  Worse  than  that,  the 
majority  are  foreign-thinking!  That  is  where 
the  gravest  danger  lies. 
21 


If  our  institutions  are  in  the  future  to  continue 
of  the  same  complexion  as  in  the  past,  the  "young- 
Americans"  must  be  taught  to  think  from  the 
purely  American  point  of  view. 

The  problem  is  many  sided.  For  example — 
and  to  name  one  side  only — from  the  standpoint 
of  public  health,  they  must  be  taught  to  live 
according  to  the  American  code  of  hygiene  and  of 
sanitation.  To  narrow  this  down  to  the  case  in 
hand,  they  must  be  taught  to  bring  up  their 
families  according  to  American  methods  and 
ideals. 

Is  there  any  better  way  to  see  to  it  that,  in  the 
future,  the  State's  little  children  shall  ^be  cared 
for  in  the  approved  way  than  by  deliberately 
teaching  the  mothers  of  the  coming  generation 
how  to  care  for  little  children?  As  Dr.  Crane  has 
so  wisely  said,  "  The  road  to  the  Golden  Age  lies 
through  the  school  house." 

If,  under  the  State's  fatherly  protection,  our 
new-born  citizens  may  be  ushered  into  the  world 
without  preventable  physical  defect  or  handicap; 
if,  through  the  State's  laws  and  guidance,  the 


22 


food  and  care  of  these  little  children  may  be 
safeguarded  within  the  bounds  of  reason;  and  if 
some  way  may  be  adopted  to  instruct  the  mothers 
of  the  future,  in  the  approved  way  of  caring  for 
their  own  little  children — then,  at  least,  we  shall 
have  started  on  "the  road." 


(In  the  second  paper  of  the  Series  it  is  proposed  to 
discuss  the  "School  Laws"  which  relate  to  the  health  of 
children. 

Acknowledgments  are  due  Mr.  Herbert  O.  Brigham  and 
Miss  Grace  M.  Sherwood  of  the  Rhode  Island  State 
Library,  and  the  personnel  of  the  various  Boards  and 
philanthropic  societies  whose  courtesy  in  answering  ques- 
tions has  made  possible  the  compilation  of  the  present 
paper.) 


23 


APPENDIX  A 


RHODE   ISLAND   LAWS 


RELATING   TO   THE 


HEALTH    OF   INFANTS 


26  RHODE   ISLAND  LAWS 


Chap.  1769,  Public  Laws  of  Rhode  Island, 
1919. 

Sec.  18.  The  state  board  of  health  shall 
establish  and  maintain  a  division  of  child  welfare 
for  the  study  and  application  of  measures  for  the 
prevention  of  maternal  and  infant  mortality; 
for  the  preparation  and  issuance  of  child  health 
literature,  the  suppression  of  diseases  of  young 
children,  and  the  organizing  of  child  welfare  work; 
and  for  the  institution  of  such  other  measures  for 
the  protection  of  the  lives  and  the  improvement 
of  the  health  of  young  children  as  the  state  board 
of  health  shall  direct. 


CARE   OF  THE   ETB8 


27 


Chapter   343   of   the    General   Laws,    Amended    by 
Chapter  1641,  P.  L.  op  Rhode  Island,  1918. 

"Section  25.  That  any  diseased  condition  of  the  eye 
or  eyes  of  any  infant  in  which  there  is  inflammation, 
redness,  sweUing  or  any  unnatural  discharge  at  any  time 
within  two  weeks  after  birth,  shall  for  the  purpose  of  this 
act  be  deemed  to  be  ophthalmia  neonatonmi. 

It  shall  be  the  duty  of  any  physician,  midwije,  nurse, 
'parent  or  any  other  person  or  persons  assisting  any  woman 
in  childbirth  or  assisting  in  the  care  of  any  infant  to  report 
within  twelve  hours  after  noting  the  same,  any  such  case 
of  ophthalmia  neonatorum  coming  to  his  or  her  attention, 
to  the  local  health  officer  of  the  city  or  town  within  which 
the  mother  of  such  infant  shall  have  been  at  the  time  of 
confinement. 

It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  attending  physician,  midwife, 
nurse,  or  other  person  in  attendance  on  a  confinement  case 
■  to  use  such  prophylactic  treatment  for  the  prevention  of 
blindness  among  new-bom  children  in  accordance  with  the 
rules  and  regulations  prescribed  by  the  state  board  of 
health. 

It  shall  be  the  duty  of  physicians,  midwives,  and  such 
other  persons  as  may  be  lawfully  engaged  in  the  practice 
of  obstetrics  or  assisting  at  childbirths  to  inform  parents  or 
guardians  of  the  serious  nature  and  consequences  of  this 
disease  and  to  advise  the  use  of  prophylactic  measures 
designated  by  the  state  board  of  health. 


Inflammation 
within  two 
weeks  after 
birth. 


Preventative 
measures. 


28 


RHODE   ISI^ND   LAWS 


Diity  of  health 
officer. 


Duty  of  state 
board  of  health. 


Penalty. 


For  the  purpose  of  this  act,  midwives,  who,  previously 
have  not  been  permitted  to  use  medicinal  agents  under 
any  conditions  may  employ  the  approved  prophylactic 
of  the  state  board  of  health,  with  the  consent  of  the  parent 
or  guardian." 

"Sec.  26.  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  local  health  officer 
to  investigate  each  case  of  ophthalmia  neonatorum  and 
the  health  officer  shall  be  required  to  report  all  such  cases 
and  their  results  to  the  state  board  of  health. 

It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  state  board  of  health  to 
enforce  the  provisions  of  this  act;  to  provide  a  prophylactic 
agent  for  free  distribution,  together  with  proper  directions' 
for  the  use  of  the  same;  to  publish  and  distribute  in- 
formation concerning  the  dangers  and  prevention  of 
ophthalmia  neonatorum;  and  to  bring  all  violations  of  the 
law  to  the  attention  of  the  attorney-general." 

"Sec.  27.  The  failure  of  any  person  mentioned  in 
Section  25  of  this  chapter  to  report  any  and  aU  cases  of 
ophthalmia  neonatorum,  as  herein  directed,  or  the  failure 
or  refusal  of  any  person  or  institution  herein  mentioned, 
to  obey  any  rule  or  regulation*  adopted  by  the  state  board 


^Ophthalmia  Neonatoeum. — To  be  reported  to  the  local  health 
oflBcer  and  also  to  the  Secretary  of  the  State  Board  of  Health. 

1.  Infectious  Agent. — The  gonococcus  or  some  member  of  a  group  of 
pyogenic  organisms,  including  the  hemoglobinophilic  bacilli. 

2.  Source  of  Infection. — Discharges  from  conjunctivse,  or  adnexa,  or 
genital  mucous  membranes  of  infected  persons. 

3.  Modes  jf  Transmission. — Contact  with  an  infected  person  or  with 
articles  freshly  soiled  with  discharges  of  such  person. 


BIRTH   REGISTRATION  29 

of  health  under  this  act,  shall  constitute  a  misdemeanor, 
and  upon  conviction  thereof,  shall  be  fined  not  less  than 
ten  nor  more  than  one  hundred  doUars." 


CHAPTER  121. 

Section  1.    The  town  clerks  of  the  several  towns,  or  Registration  of 
any  person  whom  the  board  of  aldermen  of  any  city,  or    '""*  ^'  ®*°" 
the  town  councU  of  any  town,  may  appoint  for  that  pur- 
pose, shall  obtain,  chronologically  record  and  index,  as 

4.  Incubation  Period. — Irregular,  but  usually  36  to  48  hours. 

5.  Period  of  Communicability. — During  the  course  of  the  disease  and 
until  the  discharges  from  the  infected  mucous  membranes  have  ceased. 

6.  Method  of  Control: 

(A)  The  infected  individual  and  his  environment — 

1. — Recognition  of  the  disease. — Clinical  symptoms,  con- 
firmed where  possible  by  bacteriological  examination. 

2. — Isolation. — None,  provided  the  patient  ia  under  adequate 
medical  supervision. 

3. — Immunization. — None. 

4. — Qiiarantine. — None. 

5. — Concurrent  disinfection. — Disinfection  or  burning  of 
conjunctival  discharges  and  articles  soiled  therewith. 

6. — Terminal  disinfection. — Thorough  cleansing. 

(B)  General  measures — 

1. — ^Enforcement  of  regulations  forbidding  the  use  of  common 

towels  and  toilet  articles.     Education   as  to  personal 

cleanliness. 
2. — Use  of  silver  nitrate  or  some  similar  solution  in  the  eyes 

of  the  new  born  which  ia  furnished  free  by  the  State 

Board  of  Health. 


30  RHODE  ISLAND   LAWS 

required  by  the  forms  prescribed  by  section  three  of  this 
chapter,  all  information  concerning  births,  marriages  and 
deaths  occurring  among  the  inhabitants  of  their  respective 
towns;  and  on  or  before  the  first  Monday  in  March,  an- 
nually, shall  make  duly  certified  returns  thereof  to  the 
secretary  of  the  state  board  of  health  for  the  year  ending 
on  the  thirty-first  day  of  December  next  preceding,  ac- 
companying the  same  with  a  list  of  the  persons  required 
by  law  to  make  returns  to  them  who  have  neglected  to  do 
so,  and  with  such  remarks  relating  to  the  object  of  this 
chapter  as  they  may  deem  important  to  commimicate. 

Sec.  2    As  amended  by  Ch.   1239,   G.  L.  of  Rhode 
Island,  1915,   reads: 
State  board  of  '  'The  secretary  of  the  state  board  of  health  shall  receive 

health  Bhall  ,  :;     .  ... 

receive  returns,  the  retxuTis  made  m  pursuance  of  the  preceding  section, 
and  annually  make  a  general  abstract  and  report  thereof, 
in  form  as  prescribed  by  section  3  of  this  chapter,  and  pub- 
lish and  print  not  exceeding  one  thousand  copies  thereof; 
and  for  preparing,  tabulating  and  pubKshing  said  annual 
report,  including  all  clerical  assistance  needed  therefor  and 
the  printing  and  binding  of  said  report,  the  sum  of  seven- 
teen hundred  dollars  is  hereby  annually  appropriated  to  be 
paid  to  the  state  registrar.  Said  returns,  after  such  report 
is  prepared,  shall  be  deposited  in  the  ofl&ce  of  the  secretary 
of  state,  who  shall  cause  the  same  to  be  arranged,  full 
alphabetical  indices  of  all  the  names  to  be  made,  and  the 
whole  to  be  boimd  in  volumes  of  convenient  size  and 
carefully  preserved  in  his  office." 


BIRTH   REGI8TBATION 


31 


Sec.  3.  As  amended  by  Ch.  575,  G.  L.  of  Rhode 
Island,  1910,  reads: 

'  'The  blank  forms  required  to  carry  out  the  provisions  Questions  to  be 
of  this  chapter  shall,  on  appUcation,  be  furnished  by  the  recorded, 
secretary  of  the  state  board  of  health  to  clergymen,  phy- 
sicians, undertakers,  town  clerks,  clerks  of  meetings  of  the 
Society  of  Friends,  and  other  persons  requiring  them,  sub- 
stantially as  follows:  The  record  of  a  birth  shall  state  the 
date  and  place  of  birth,  name  of  the  child,  if  it  has  any, 
the  sex  and  color  of  the  child,  number  of  child  of  the 
mother,  whether  born  alive  or  still-born,  the  name  and 
surname,  age,  color,  residence,  and  birthplace  of  the 
parents,  and  the  occupation  of  the  father,  and  the  time  of 
recording,  so  far  as  the  same  can  be  ascertained.  .  «  . 
The  record  of  deaths  shall  state  the  date  of  death,  name 
and  surname  of  deceased,  the  sex,  color,  and  condition, 
whether  single  or  married,  age,  occupation,  place  of  death, 
place  of  birth,  names  and  birthplace  of  parents,  disease  or 
cause  of  death,  the  name  and  relation  to  the  deceased  of 
the  person  fiimishing  such  information,  place  of  burial  and 
the  time  of  recording,  so  far  as  can  be  ascertained:  Pro- 
vided, however,  that  still-births  shall  be  recorded  both  as 
births  and  deaths,  but  separately  from  the  records  of  both 
births  or  deaths." 

Sec.  5.  The  town  clerk  of  every  town  shall  annually, 
in  the  month  of  January,  collect  the  information  required 
by  this  chapter  in  relation  to  aU  children  bom  in  the  town 
during  the  year  ending  on  the  thirty-first  day  of  December 
next  preceding. 


Duty  of  town 
clerk. 


32 


EHODE   ISLAND   LAWS 


Duty  of  phy- 
sicians and 
mid  wives. 


Penalties. 


Sec.  6.  Physicians  andjjinidwives  shall,  on  or  before 
the  fifth  day  of  each  month,  report  to  the  clerk  of  each 
city  or  town  a  correct  hst  of  all  children  bom  therein 
during  the  month  next  preceding,  at  whose  birth  they  were 
present,  stating  the  date  and  place  of  each  birth,  the  name 
of  the  child  if  it  has  any,  the  sex  and  color  of  the  child,  the 
name,  place  of  birth  and  residence  of  the  parents,  and  the 
occupation  of  the  father.  The  fee  of  the  physician  or  mid- 
wife shall  be  twenty-five  cents  for  each  birth  so  reported, 
and  shall  be  paid  by  the  city  or  town  in  which  the  report  is 
made. 

Sec.  7.  As  amended  by  Ch.  575,  G.  L.  of  Rhode  Island, 
1910,  reads: 

'  'Whenever  any  person  shall  die,  or  any  still-bom  child 
be  brought  forth,  in  this  state,  the  imdertaker  or  em- 
balmer  who  has  charge  of  the  body  shall  obtain  and  return 
to  the  town  clerk  or  registrar  a  certificate  of  death,  prepared 
in  accordance  with  section  3  of  this  chapter,  and  upon  a 
blank  to  be  furnished  by  the  secretary  of  the  state  board 
of  health.  The  statement  of  facts  relating  to  the  disposi- 
tion of  the  body  shall  be  signed  by  the  undertaker  or  person 
acting  as  such.     .     .     ." 

Sec.  13.  Every  clergyman,  physician,  midwife,  under- 
taker, town  clerk,  clerk  of  any  meeting  of  the  Society  of 
Friends  or  other  person,  who  shall  wilfully  or  vmreasonably 
neglect  or  refuse  to  perform  any  of  the  duties  imposed  on 
or  required  of  him  by  this  chapter,  shall  be  fined  not  ex- 
ceeding twenty  dollars  nor  less  than  two  dollars  for  each 


BIRTH   REGISTRATION  33 

offence,  one-half  thereof  to  the  use  of  the  town  in  which 
the  offence  shall  occur  and  one-half  thereof  to  the  use  of  the 
person  who  shall  complain  of  the  same. 

Sec.  17.  As  amended  by  Ch.  575,  P.  L.  of  Rhode 
Island,  1910,  reads: 

"Births,  marriages,  and  deaths  of  the  residents  of  a 
town  or  city  which  occur  outside  of  such  town  or  city  shall 
be  recorded  separately  from  those  occurring  in  such  town 
or  city." 

Sec.  18.  The  secretary  of  the  state  board  of  health 
may,  from  time  to  time,  vary  forms  of  returns  and  require 
such  additional  information  as  he  may  consider  necessary 
to  accompUsh  the  object  of  this  chapter. 

Sec.  20.  The  clerk  or  registrar  of  each  town  and  city 
shall,  on  the  first  day  of  each  and  every  month,  make  a 
certified  copy  of  all  births,  marriages  and  deaths  recorded 
in  the  books  of  said  town  or  city  during  the  previous  month, 
whenever  the  parents  of  the  child  bom,  or  the  bride  or 
groom,  or  the  deceased  person,  were  resident  in  any  other 
town  or  city  in  this  state,  or  in  any  other  state,  at  the 
time  of  said  birth,  marriage  or  death;  and  shall  transmit 
such  certified  copies  to  the  clerk  or  registrar  of  the  town, 
city  or  state  in  which  such  parents  of  the  child  born,  the 
bride  or  groom,  or  the  deceased,  were  resident  at  the  time 
of  said  birth,  marriage  or  death,  stating,  in  case  of  a  birth, 
the  name  of  the  street  and  number  of  the  house,  if  any, 
where  such  parents  resided,  the  place  of  birth  of  such 
parents  and  the  maiden  name  of  the  mother,  whenever  the 


34  RHODE   ISLAND  LAWS 

same  can  be  ascertained;  and  the  clerk  or  registrar  so 
receiving  such  certified  copies  shall  record  the  same  in  the 
books  kept  for  recording  births,  marriages  and  deaths. 
Such  certified  copies  shall  be  made  upon  blanks  to  be 
furnished  for  that  purpose  by  the  secretary  of  the  state 
board  of  health. 

Sfomation.  Sec.  25.     If  it  shaU  come  to  the  knowledge  of  a  town 

clerk,  or  any  person,  appointed  under  the  provisions  of 
section  one  of  this  chapter,  that  any  birth,  marriage,  or 
death  which  has  occurred  in  his  town  or  city  has  not  been 
returned  to  him  as  required  by  this  chapter,  or  has  not 
been  recorded,  such  town  clerk  or  person  shall  record  the 
facts  called  for  by  section  three  of  this  chapter,  to  the 
extent  he  shall  receive  in  any  way  any  credible  information 
of  the  same.  If  any  error  shall  be  made  in  the  return  of 
any  birth,  marriage  or  death,  or  shall  be  discovered  in  the 
records  of  births,  marriages  or  deaths,  such  error  shall  be 
corrected  without  erasure.  In  each  case  the  source  of 
information,  from  which  the  addition  or  correction  is 
made,  and  the  date  of  making  the  same  shall  be  noted  on 
the  face  of  the  record,  and  such  town  clerk  or  person  shall 
attest  the  same  by  his  signature  thereon.  Such  town  clerk 
or  person  shall  annually,  on  or  before  the  first  Monday  in 
March,  make  duly  certified  returns  to  the  secretary  of  the 
state  board  of  health  of  aU  such  additions  and  corrections 
made  during  the  year  ending  on  the  thirty-first  day  of 
December  next  preceding.  Such  town  clerk  or  person  shaU 
receive  for  each  such  additional  record  and  return  of  a  death, 


DEAF,    BLIND    AND    IMBECILE   CHILDREN 


35 


marriage  or  birth  made  by  him  the  same  fees  specified  in 
sections  twelve  and  nineteen  of  this  chapter  for  recording 
and  returning  deaths,  marriages,  and  births  respectively. 


CHAPTER  100. 


State 
beneficiaries. 


Section  1.  The  governor,  on  recommendation  of  the 
state  board  of  education,  upon  application  of  the  parent  or 
guardian,  may  appoint  any  deaf,  bhnd  or  imbecile  child, 
being  a  legal  resident  of  this  state,  who  shall  appear  to  said 
board  to  be  a  fit  subject  for  education,  as  a  state  beneficiary 
at  any  suitable  institution  or  school  now  established,  or 
that  may  be  estabUshed,  either  within  or  without  the  state, 
for  such  period  as  he  may  determine,  within  the  limit  of 
ten  years:  Provided,  that  he  may,  upon  the  special  recom- 
mendation of  the  state  board  of  education,  extend  the 
period  and  that  he  shall  have  the  power  to  revoke  any 
appointment  at  any  time  for  cause. 

Sec.  2.  The  board  of  education  are  hereby  clothed  with  Supervision. 
the  duty  and  responsibiUty  of  supervising  the  education 
of  aU  such  beneficiaries,  and  no  child  appointed  as  above 
shall  be  withdrawn  from  any  institution  or  school  except 
with  their  consent,  or  the  consent  of  the  governor;  and  said 
board  shall  annually  report  to  the  general  assembly  their 
doings  under  this  chapter,  with  such  further  information  in 
relation  to  the  several  institutions  at  which  these  bene- 
ficiaries have  been  placed  as  may  be  deemed  desirable. 

Sec.  3.  The  board  of  education  may  expend  in  the  pur- 
chase of  necessary  clothing  for  such  beneficiaries  a  sum  not 


36  RHODE   ISLAND   LAWS 

exceeding  twenty  dollars,  in  any  calendar  year,  for  a  single 
child. 

Sec.  4.    As  added  by  Ch.  945,  Public  Laws  of  Rhode 
Island,  1913,  reads: 
Blind  babies.  '  'The  state  board  of  education  shall  have  power  to  pro- 

vide for  the  suitable  care,  maintenance  and  instruction  of 
babies  and  children  under  school  age  residing  in  this  state 
who  may  be  born  bhnd  or  become  blind,  in  any  case  where 
by  reason  of  lack  of  means  or  other  cause  the  parent  or 
parents  of  such  children  may  be  unable  to  properly  care  for, 
maintain  and  educate  such  children." 

Sec.  5.  As  added  by  Ch.  945,  General  Laws  of  Rhode 
Island,  1913,  reads: 

"For  the  purpose  of  providing  such  care,  maintenance 
and  education  the  said  board  of  education  shall  have  power 
to  contract  with  any  institution  having  or  furnishing 
faciUties  for  such  care,  maintenance  and  education  in  this 
or  any  other  state  at  a  contract  price  to  be  agreed  upon, 
not  exceeding  one  dollar  per  day :  Provided,  that  such  con- 
tract shall  be  made  by  and  with  the  written  consent  of  the 
parents  or  the  surviving  parent  of  any  such  child." 

Sec.  6.  (Section  4,  Ch.  100,  G.  L.  of  R.  I.,  1909,  re- 
numbered Section  6,  by  P.  L.  of  R.  I.  Ch.  945,  Sec.  2, 1913.) 

All  bills  arising  under  this  chapter  shall  be  examined 
and  approved  by  the  board  of  education,  and  the  state 
auditor  is  hereby  authorized  to  draw  his  orders  on  the 
general  treasurer  for  the  payment  thereof  when  properly 


LICENSING   OF  MIBWIVES 


37 


certified  by  the  secretary  of  the  board  and  approved  by  the 
governor;  and  a  sum  not  to  exceed  seventeen  thousand 
dollars,  or  so  much  thereof  as  may  be  needed,  is  hereby 
annually  appropriated  therefor  out  of  any  money  in  the 
treasury  not  otherwise  appropriated. 


Chap.  1634,  Public  Laws  of  Rhode  Island,  1918: 


Sec.  16.  The  state  board  of  health  is  hereby  author- 
ized and  directed  to  make  rules  for  the  regulation  of  the 
practice  of  midwifery  and  for  the  licensing  of  midwives. 
On  and  after  July  1, 1918,  no  person  not  a  licensed  midwife 
or  a  physician  registered  under  the  provisions  of  Chapter 
193  of  the  General  Laws,  shall  practice  midwifery,  or  shall 
make  a  practice  of  attending  women  in  childbirth  for  hire, 
or  use  the  name  or  title  of  midwife.  Any  person  who 
violates  the  provisions  of  this  section  or  who  violates  any 
of  the  rules  of  the  state  board  of  health  made  in  pursuance 
hereof  shall  be  fined  not  more  than  one  hundred  dollars, 
or  imprisoned  not  more  than  six  months,  or  both,  and  the 
state  board  of  health  may  revoke  the  license  issued  to 
any  person  when,  in  the  opinion  of  the  state  board  of 
health  said  person  is  guilty  of  unprofessional  conduct. 


Licensing  of 
midwives. 


Penalty  for 
violation. 


38 


RHODE   ISLAND    LAWS 


Boarding 

homes  to  be 
licensed. 


Incorporated 

institutions 

exempt. 


Penalty  for 
violation. 


Regulations. 


CHAPTER  141. 

Section  1.    As  amended  by  Ch.  548,  General  Laws  of 

Rhode  Island,  1910,  reads: 

'  'No  person  (other  than  the  managers  of  any  state  insti- 
tution, the  corporations  and  societies  enimaerated  in  Sec- 
tion 3  of  Chapter  139  of  the  General  Laws,  any  charitable 
institution  incorporated  by  an  act  of  the  general  assembly 
of  this  state,  with  authority  to  aid,  support,  or  care  for 
infants,  or  any  duly  authorized  officers  or  agents  of  any  of 
the  same),  shaU  receive,  board,  or  keep  for  hire,  gain,  or 
reward,  any  infant  under  the  age  of  seven  years  not  related 
by  blood  or  marriage  to,  or  not  legally  adopted  by,  or  not 
legally  committed  by  order  of  any  court  to,  such  person, 
unless  licensed  in  writing  by  the  board  of  state  charities  and 
corrections.  Every  person  violating  any  of  the  provisions 
of  this  section  shaU,  for  each  such  offence,  be  punished  by  a 
fine  not  exceeding  one  hundred  dollars,  or  by  imprisonment 
not  exceeding  one  year,  or  by  both  such  fine  and  imprison- 
ment: Provided,  that  if  in  any  prosecution  under  this 
chapter  the  defendant  reUes  upon  his  relationship  to,  or 
right  to  the  legal  custody  of  such  infant  in  defence,  the 
burden  shall  be  upon  the  defendant  to  prove  such  relation- 
ship or  right  to  legal  custody." 

Sec.  2.  The  board  of  state  charities  and  corrections 
may  grant  licenses  to  receive,  board  and  keep  infants,  and 
may  revoke  such  license  in  its  discretion.  No  such  hcense 
shall  be  granted  until  the  application  therefor  shall  be 


BOABDING   HOMES  FOR  INFANTS  39 

approved  in  writing  by  the  board  of  health  of  the  city  or 
town  in  which  such  licensee  proposes  to  receive,  board  and 
keep  such  infants.  The  board  of  state  charities  and 
corrections,  the  Rhode  Island  Society  for  the  Prevention  of 
Cruelty  to  Children,  and  boards  of  health  of  cities  and 
towns,  shall  annually,  and  may  at  all  times,  visit  and 
inspect  premises  so  Ucensed,  and  may  at  any  time  designate 
any  person  to  visit  and  inspect  said  premises. 

Sec.  3.  Such  licenses  shall  be  granted  for  a  term  not 
exceeding  one  year  and  a  record  thereof  shall  be  kept  by  the 
board  of  state  charities  and  corrections,  which  board  shall 
forthwith  notify  the  Rhode  Island  Society  for  the  Preven-  * 
tion  of  Cruelty  to  Children,  and  the  board  of  health  of  the 
city  or  town  ia  which  the  Ucensee  resides,  that  such  Ucense 
has  been  granted,  with  the  terms  thereof.  Every  such 
license  shall  set  forth  the  name  of  the  licensee,  the  par- 
ticular premises  in  which  the  business  may  be  carried  on, 
and  the  nimiber  of  infants  permitted  to  be  boarded  at  one 
time  in  such  premises;  and  shall,  if  so  required  by  said 
board,  be  posted  hi  a  conspicuous  place  in  such  premises, 
and  the  niunber  of  infants  specified  in  such  Ucense  shall  in 
no  case  be  exceeded.  No  Ucense  issued  as  aforesaid  shaU 
authorize  the  holder  thereof  to  keep  an  iafant  in  any 
building  or  place  other  than  that  designated  in  the  Ucense. 

Sec.  4.  Every  Ucensee  as  aforesaid  shall  keep  a  true  and 
particular  record  in  such  form  as  may  be  prescribed  by  the 
board  of  state  charities  and  corrections,  of  every  infant 
received,  which  record  shall  include  the  name  and  age  of 


40  RHODE  ISLAND   LAWS 

such  infant,  the  date  of  the  receiving  of  such  iafant,  the 
name  and  address  of  the  person  or  institution  from  whom 
such  infant  is  received,  the  date  of  its  discharge,  and  the 
name  and  address  of  the  person  or  institution  to  whom  it  is 
delivered. 

Sec.  5.  When  such  license  is  revoked  the  board  of  state 
charities  and  corrections  shall  note  the  revocation  upon  the 
face  of  the  record  of  the  Ucense,  and  shaU  give  written 
notice  of  such  revocation  to  the  holder  of  the  license,  by 
deUvering  the  same  to  him  in  person  or  leaving  it  at  the 
place  of  business  designated  in  the  license. 

Sec.  6.  As  amended  by  Ch.  548,  Public  Laws  of 
Rhode  Island,  1910,  reads: 

"Every  person,  hcensed  as  aforesaid,  receiving  under 
his  care  or  control,  for  hire,  gain,  or  reward,  or  placing  under 
the  care  or  control  of  another,  any  infant  under  seven  years 
of  age  not  related  by  blood  or  marriage  to,  or  not  legally 
adopted  by,  such  other  person,  to  be  kept  under  the  care 
and  control  of  such  other  person  for  hire,  gain,  or  reward, 
shall,  within  two  days  after  such  reception  or  placing,  give 
notice  to  the  board  of  state  charities  and  corrections  of 
such  reception  or  placing  under  control  and  its  terms,  with 
the  names,  ages,  and  residences  of  such  infant  and  of  its 
parents,  so  far  as  known  to  the  person  giving  such  notice." 

Sec.  7.    As  amended  by  Ch.    548,   Public    Laws    of 
Rhode  Island,  1910,  reads : 
PenaltieB.  '  'Every  person  violating  any  of  the  provisions  of  section 

four  or  section  six  of  this  chapter  shall,  for  each  such 


41 


offence,  be  punished  by  a  fine  not  exceeding  one  hundred 
dollars,  or  by  imprisonment  not  exceeding  one  year,  or  by 
both  such  fine  and  imprisonment." 

Sec.  8.  As  added  by  Ch.  548,  Public  Laws  of  Rhode 
Island,  1910,  read: 

'  'The  provisions  of  this  chapter  shall  not  in  any  manner 
affect  or  impair  the  rights,  powers,  and  duties  conferred 
and  imposed,  by  Chapter  93  of  the  General  Laws,  upon 
overseers  of  the  poor,  relative  to  the  settled  poor  within 
their  respective  cities  and  towns." 


CHAPTER  173. 

Of  Milk. 

Section  1.  AU  nulk,  cream,  and  skimmed-milk  shall  be  ^jgasurea 
sold  only  by  standard  wine  measure,  and  by  or  in  measures, 
cans,  jars,  bottles,  or  other  vessels  or  receptacles  which 
shall,  prior  to  being  used  in  such  sale,  be  sealed  by  the 
sealer  of  weights  and  measures  of  the  town  where  the 
person  so  using  the  same  shall  usually  reside  in  this  state, 
or  of  the  town  where  such  milk  shall  be  sold  for  use;  and 
every  person  selling  any  of  the  same  contrary  to  this  sec- 
tion, or  deUvering  any  of  the  same  sold  contrary  hereto, 
shall  be  fined  for  the  first  offence  not  less  than  fifty  doUars 
and  not  exceeding  one  hundred  dollars,  and  for  any  sub- 
sequent offence  not  less  than  one  himdred  dollars  or  im- 
prisonment not  to  exceed  ninety  days,  or  both  such  fine 


42  RHODE   ISLAND   LAWS 

and  imprisonment.  Any  purchaser  of  milk,  cream,  or 
ekimmed-milk  having  reason  to  believe  that  any  measure, 
can,  jar,  bottle,  or  other  vessel  or  receptacle  in  which  milk, 
cream,  or  skimmed-milk  is  sold  and  deUvered  to  him  is  not 
of  sufficient  size  or  capacity  to  contain,  by  standard  wine- 
measiu-e,  the  amount  thereof  purchased  may  apply  to  the 
sealer  of  weights  and  measures  of  the  town  in  which  such 
ndlk,  cream,  or  skimmed-milk  is  dehvered  to  him,  which 
sealer  shall,  upon  the  receipt  of  a  fee  of  twenty-five  cents 
therefor,  test  the  capacity  of  the  same  and  issue  to  such 
purchaser  his  certificate  stating  the  capacity  thereof;  and 
if  such  capacity  according  to  such  certificate  shall  be  less 
than  the  amount  purchased,  such  purchaser  may  make 
complaint  and  dehver  such  certificate  to  any  officer  of  such 
town  authorized  to  make  complaints  for  the  violation  of  this 
chapter,  who  thereupon  shall  duly  make  complaint  against 
and  prosecute  the  person  or  persons  selling  or  deUvering 
the  same  for  violation  of  this  section. 

Regulations  for  Sec.  2.  No  person,  firm,  or  corporation,  as  principal, 
servant,  or  agent,  shall  sell,  exchange,  or  dehver,  or  have 
in  his  or  its  possession,  care,  custody,  or  control  with  intent 
to  sell,  exchange,  or  dehver,  in  any  manner  whatsoever, 
mUk,  cream,  or  skimmed-milk,  urithin  any  city,  unless  such 
person,  firm,  or  corporation  shall  have  first  obtained  and 
have  in  force  a  hcense  therefor  from  the  board  of  aldermen 
of  such  city. 

Sec.  3.     The  board  of  aldermen  of  such  city  may  grant 
licenses  to  any  person,  firm,  or  corporation  making  written 


43 


application  therefor  at  the  office  of  the  iospector  of  milk 
of  such  city  on  printed  form  or  forms  provided  for  that 
purpose  by  such  inspector  of  milk.  Such  application  shall 
state  the  name,  residence,  and  location  of  the  business  place 
or  places  of  the  applicant,  the  number  and  the  description 
of  each  and  every  wagon,  carriage,  or  other  vehicle  used  by 
the  apphcant  in  the  milk,  cream,  or  skimmed-milk  business, 
and  the  names  and  residences  of  all  persons  from  whom 
such  apphcant  purchases  any  nulk,  cream,  or  skimmed- 
milk.  Any  hcensee  hereunder  shall  at  any  time,  on 
request  of  said  inspector,  give  said  inspector  such  informa- 
tion. All  apphcations  shall  be  signed  by  the  applicant, 
and  in  case  of  corporations  so  applying  the  apphcation  shall 
be  made  by  the  treasurer  or  other  duly  authorized  officer 
thereof,  and  the  names  of  the  officers  of  any  corporation  so 
applying,  or  to  which  such  Ucense  is  granted,  shall  be  fur- 
nished in  writing  by  such  corporation  to  such  inspector  at 
any  time  on  his  request.  The  inspector  of  milk  shall 
promptly  present  to  said  board  of  aldermen  each  such 
apphcation,  with  his  recommendations  thereon  in  writing. 
All  hcenses  issued  shall  expire  on  the  first  Monday  of 
February  next  following  the  date  of  such  hcense. 

Sec.  4.     The  inspector  of  mUk  shall  keep  a  record  of  all 

such  hcenses  issued,  including  the  name,  residence,  and 
place  of  business  of  each  and  every  person  to  whom  such 
license  is  issued  and  the  date  of  issue  and  the  date  of  license, 
and  so  much  of  section  twelve  of  this  chapter  as  requires 
milk  dealers  to  register  their  names  and  places  of  business 


44  RHODE  ISLAND   LAWS 

in  the  inBpector's  book  shall  not  apply  to  such  licensees. 
No  person,  firm,  or  corporation  holding  such  license  shall 
have  power  to  transfer,  sell  or  assign  such  Ucense.  Such 
Ucense  shall  not  be  required  for  a  person  acting  as  the 
servant  or  agent  of  a  person,  firm  or  corporation  having  a 
license,  but  they  shall  record  the  names  and  residences  of 
such  servants  and  agents  in  the  oflBce  of  the  inspector  of 
milk.  Any  person,  firm,  or  corporation  Ucensed  under  the 
,  provisions  of  this  chapter  shall  immediately  cause  to  be 

and  remain  posted  such  license  upon  some  conspicuous 
part  of  the  room,  place,  or  office  in  which  the  business  is 
carried  on. 

Sec.  5.  The  board  of  aldermen  of  such  city  shall  have 
the  power  at  any  time  in  their  discretion,  upon  the  com- 
plaint of  the  inspector  of  milk  or  of  any  other  person,  to 
revoke  or  suspend  any  such  license  for  any  violation  of  the 
provisions  of  this  chapter,  or  for  any  other  good  and 
sufficient  cause,  or  when  the  interest  of  the  pubhc  health 
demands  it:  Provided,  however,  that  no  such  license  shall 
be  revoked  or  suspended  imtil  after  said  board  of  aldermen 
shall  give  the  Ucensee  five  days'  previous  notice  and  an 
opportimity  to  be  heard  in  person  or  by  counsel. 

Sec.  6.  Any  person  violating  any  provision  of  section 
two  of  this  chapter  shall,  upon  conviction,  be  fined  for  the 
first  offence  not  less  than  fifteen  doUars  and  not  exceeding 
one  hundred  doUars,  and  for  any  subsequent  offence  not 
less  than  one  hundred  dollars  or  imprisonment  not  to  exceed 
ninety  days,  or  both  such  fine  and  imprisonment. 


45 


Sec.  7.  Any  town  may  at  any  time  accept  the  pro-  Towns, 
visions  of  sections  two  to  seven  inclusive  of  this  chapter  by 
vote  of  the  town  council  thereof  and  by  filing  in  the  office 
of  the  secretary  of  state  a  copy  of  such  vote  of  acceptance 
duly  certified  by  the  town  clerk  thereof;  whereupon  the 
foregoing  provisions  of  this  chapter  shall  apply  to  such 
town  for  the  purpose  of  granting  and  issuing  such  Ucenses, 
and  at  the  expiration  of  thirty  days  from  such  filing  shall 
wholly  apply  to  such  town  for  all  purposes  therein,  and  the 
town  council  thereof  shall  have  all  the  powers  conferred 
thereby  upon  the  board  of  aldermen  of  any  such  city. 

Sec.  8.    As  amended  by  Chapter  863,  Public  Laws  of 
R.  I.,  1912,  reads: 

"The  mayor  and  aldermen  of  any  city  and  the  town  ingpectora. 
coimcil  of  any  town,  may  annually  elect  one  or  more  per- 
sons to  be  inspectors  of  milk  therein,  except  in  the  city  of 
Newport,  where  such  inspector  shall  be  elected  by  the 
board  of  health  of  said  city,  who  shall  be  engaged  to  the 
faithful  discharge  of  the  duties  of  their  ofiBce.  Every  such 
inspector  shall  give  notice  of  his  election  by  publishing 
notice  thereof,  for  two  weeks  in  some  newspaper  published 
in  the  city  or  town  for  which  he  shall  be  elected;  or,  if  no 
newspaper  be  published  therein,  by  posting  up  such  notice 
in  two  or  more  public  places  in  such  city  or  town:  Pro- 
vided, that  the  mayor  and  aldermen  of  the  city  of  Provi- 
dence shall  on  the  first  Monday  of  January,  biennially, 
commencing  A.  D.  1913,  elect  such  person  or  persons  to  be 
inspectors  of  milk,  and  may,  at  any  time  during  the  term 


EHODE  ISLAND   LAWS 


Collectors  of 
Bamples. 


Duties  of 

inspectors. 


thereafter  fill  by  election  any  vacancy  occurring  by  reason 
of  death,  resignation,  absence  from  the  city,  or  inabihty 
to  act." 

Sec.  9.  Any  inspector  of  milk  of  any  town  or  city 
may  appoint,  subject  to  the  approval  of  the  town  council 
or  the  mayor  and  aldermen,  one  person  as  collector  of  sam- 
ples, except  in  the  city  of  Providence,  where  two  may  be 
appointed,  who  shall  have  the  same  powers  and  be  subject 
to  the  same  duties  and  KabiUties  provided  by  law  relative 
to  the  taking  of  specimens  or  samples,  as  an  inspector  of 
nuLk.  AU  specimens  or  samples  taken  and  retained  by  any 
such  collector  shall  be  dehvered  to  such  inspector,  who 
shaU  have  the  same  powers  and  duties  relative  to  the  same 
as  in  case  of  specimens  or  samples  taken  by  himself. 
Such  inspector  at  any  time  may  revoke  the  appointment 
of  any  such  collector  and,  subject  to  the  approval  afore- 
said, appoint  another  person  in  his  stead.  Such  collector 
upon  being  appointed  shall  be  duly  engaged  to  the  faithful 
discharge  of  his  duties  before  the  city  or  town  clerk,  who 
shall  keep  a  record  thereof;  and  shall  receive  such  salary 
as  the  mayor  and  aldermen  or  town  coimcil  shall  determine. 

Sec.  10  Every  inspector  of  milk  shall  have  an  office 
and  a  book  for  the  purpose  of  recording  the  names  and 
places  of  business  of  aU  persons  engaged  in  the  sale  of  milk 
within  the  limits  of  his  town.  He  may  enter  any  place 
where  milk  is  stored  or  kept  for  sale  and  examine  all 
carriages  used  in  the  conveyance  of  milk,  and  whenever 
he  has  reason  to  beUeve  any  milk  found  by  him  is  adul- 


47 


terated,  lie  shall  take  specimens  thereof  and  cause  the 
same  to  be  analyzed  or  otherwise  satisfactorily  tested,  the 
result  of  which  he  shall  record  and  preserve  as  evidence; 
and  a  certificate  of  such  result,  sworn  to  by  the  analyzer, 
shall  be  admissible  in  evidence  in  all  prosecutions  under  ' 
this  chapter.  Such  inspector  shall  receive  such  compensa- 
tion as  the  mayor  and  aldermen  or  town  coimcil  shall 
determine. 

Sec.  11.  Whenever  the  inspector  of  milk  shall  have 
reason  to  believe  that  adulterated  produce  or  food  is  being 
sold  or  kept  for  sale  contrary  to  law,  he  shall  take  at  least 
two  specimens,  from  the  same  package  or  bidk  as  samples 
thereof,  such  specimens,  if  soUd,  not  to  exceed  in  weight 
one  pound  each,  and  if  liquid,  not  to  exceed  in  measure 
one  pint  each.  He  shall  take  said  samples  in  the  presence 
of  the  owner  or  his  agent,  and  shall  seal  and  label  the  same 
in  the  presence  of  such  owner  or  agent,  said  labels  to  state 
the  kind  of  provisions  or  food  and  the  name  of  the  seller, 
and  shall  then  and  there  deliver  one  of  said  samples  to  such 
owner  or  agent. 

Sec.  12.  Whoever,  engaging  in  or  being  engaged  in  the 
business  of  selling  milk  and  conveying  the  same  for  sale,  tradesmen. 
neglects  to  cause  his  name  and  place  of  business  to  be 
recorded  in  the  inspector's  book  and  his  name  to  be  legibly 
and  conspicuously  placed  and  constantly  kept  upon  aU 
carriages  and  vehicles  used  by  him  in  the  conveyance  of 
milk  or  in  the  sale  thereof,  and  whoever,  being  engaged  in 
the  business  of  selling  milk  and  conveying  the  same  for 
sale,  shall  neglect  to  renew  such  record  annually  between 


48 


RHODE   ISLAND    LAWS 


Adulteration. 


Butter-fats. 


Adulteration. 
Definition. 


the  first  day  of  February  and  the  first  day  of  March,  shall 
be  fined  twenty  doUars  for  the  first  offence  and  fifty  dollars 
for  the  second  and  each  subsequent  offence;  and  whoever 
offers  for  sale  milk  produced  from  cows  fed  upon  the  refuse 
of  distillers  or  any  substance  deleterious  to  the  quaUty  of 
the  milk,  and  whoever  offers  for  sale  milk  produced  from 
sick  or  diseased  cows,  shall  be  fined  twenty  dollars  for  the 
first  offence  and  fifty  dollars  for  every  subsequent  offence; 
and  whoever,  in  the  employment  of  another,  violates  any 
provision  of  this  section  shall  be  held  equally  guilty  with 
the  principal  and  shall  suffer  the  same  penalty. 

Sec.  13.  No  person  shall  sell  or  exchange  or  have  in 
his  possession  with  intent  to  sell  or  exchange,  or  offer  for 
sale  or  exchange,  adulterated  milk  or  milk  to  which  water 
or  any  foreign  substance  has  been  added. 

Sec.  14.  Every  person  who  shall  sell,  exchange  or 
deUver,  or  shall  have  in  his  custody  or  possession  with  the 
intent  to  sell  or  exchange  or  dehver,  for  himself  or  as  the 
employee  of  any  other  person,  milk  from  which  the  cream 
or  any  part  thereof  has  been  removed,  or  which  shall  not 
contain  two  and  one-half  per  centum  of  milk-fats,  shall  dis- 
tinctly mark,  in  letters  not  less  than  one  inch  in  length, 
in  a  conspicuous  place  above  the  centre,  upon  the  outside 
of  every  vessel,  can  or  package  containing  such  milk,  the 
words  SKIMMED-MILK,  and  such  nulk  shall  only  be 
sold  in  or  retailed  out  of  a  can,  vessel  or  package  so  marked. 

Sec.  15.  In  all  prosecutions  under  sections  thirteen  and 
fourteen  of  this  chapter,  if  the  milk  shall  be  shown  upon 


49 


Penalties  for 
adulteration. 


analysis  to  contain  more  than  eighty-eight  per  centum  of 
watery  fluids,  or  to  contain  less  than  twelve  per  centum  of 
milk-soUds,  or  less  than  two  and  one-half  per  centum  of 
milk-fats,  it  shall  be  deemed  for  the  purpose  of  said  sections 
to  be  adulterated. 

Sec.  16.  Every  person  who  shall  be  found  guilty  be- 
fore a  district  court  of  violating  any  of  the  provisions  of  the 
three  sections  next  preceding,  upon  the  first  conviction 
shall  be  fined  twenty  dollars;  and  upon  the  second,  and 
every  subsequent  conviction,  shall  be  fined  twenty  dollars 
and  be  imprisoned  in  the  county  jail  for  ten  days. 

Sec.  17.  Whoever  by  himself  or  by  his  servant  or  agent,  Care  of  jars. 
or  as  the  servant  or  agent  of  any  other  person,  firm,  or  cor- 
poration having  custody  of  a  can,  jar,  bottle,  measure,  or 
other  vessel  used  as  a  container  for  milk  destined  for  sale, 
places  or  causes  or  permits  to  be  placed  therein  any  offal, 
swill,  kerosene,  vegetable  matter,  or  any  article  other  than 
milk,  skimmed-milk,  buttermilk,  cream,  or  water  or  other 
agent  used  for  cleansing  said  can,  jar,  bottle,  measure,  or 
other  vessel,  shall  be  punished  by  a  fine  of  ten  dollars  for 
each  vessel  so  misused. 

Sec.  18.  Whoever,  by  himself  or  by  his  servant  or  Penalty, 
agent,  or  as  the  servant  or  agent  of  any  other  person,  firm, 
or  corporation,  sends,  ships,  returns,  or  deUvers,  or  causes 
or  permits  to  be  sent,  shipped,  returned  or  delivered,  to 
any  producer  of  milk  any  can,  jar,  bottle,  measure,  or  other 
vessel  used  as  a  container  for  milk  containing  any  offal, 
swill,  kerosene,  vegetable  matter,  rotten  or  putrid  milk, 


50 


RHODE    ISLAND   LAWS 


Penalty. 


Complaints. 


Public 
notices. 


or  any  other  offensive  material,  shall  be  punished  by  a  fine 
of  ten  dollars  for  each  said  vessel  so  misused. 

Sec.  19.  Whoever  by  himself  or  by  his  servant  or  agent, 
or  as  the  servant  or  agent  of  any  other  person,  firm,  or 
corporation,  sends,  ships,  returns,  or  delivers,  or  causes  or 
permits  to  be  sent,  shipped,  returned,  or  delivered,  to  any 
producer,  dealer  in,  or  consumer  of  milk  any  can,  jar,  bottle, 
measure,  or  other  vessel  used  as  a  container  for  milk  with- 
out first  thoroughly  cleaning  and  cleansing,  by  the  use  of 
boihng  water,  steam,  or  other  proper  agent,  such  can,  jar, 
bottle,  measure,  or  other  vessel  used  as  a  container  for 
milk,  shall  be  punished  by  a  fine  of  ten  dollars  for  each  said 
vessel  so  misused. 

Sec.  20.  Every  inspector  of  milk  shall  institute  com- 
plaints on  the  information  of  any  person  who  shall  lay 
before  him  satisfactory  evidence  by  which  to  sustain  the 
same. 

Sec.  21.  Every  inspector  of  milk  shall  cause  the  pro- 
visions of  this  chapter  to  be  published  in  his  town  at  least 
three  times  in  some  newspaper  published  in  said  town  or 
some  newspaper  in  the  county  in  which  the  town  is 
situated. 

Sec.  22.  Every  inspector  of  milk  shall  cause  the  name 
and  place  of  business  of  all  persons  convicted  under  this 
chapter  to  be  published  in  two  newspapers  pubUshed  in 
the  town  or  county  where  the  offence  shall  have  been 
committed. 


EUGENICS 


51 


Sec.  23.  Any  chief  of  police  and  any  inspector  of  milk,  Prosecutions. 
and  such  special  constables  as  the  town  council  of  any 
town,  or  the  board  of  aldermen  of  any  city,  may  appoint 
for  that  purpose,  may  make  complaints  and  prosecute  for 
all  \aolations  within  the  city  or  town  wherein  they  are 
appointed  or  elected,  of  any  of  the  provisions  of  this 
chapter;  and  they  each  shall  be  exempt  from  giving  surety 
for  costs  on  any  complaint  made  as  aforesaid. 


CHAPTER  243. 


SECTio>f  1.  No  man  shall  marry  his  mother,  grand- 
mother, daughter,  son's  daughter,  daughter's  daughter, 
stepmother,  grandfather's  wife,  son's  wife,  son's  son's  wife, 
daughter's  son's  wife,  wife's  mother,  wife's  grandmother, 
wife's  daughter,  wife's  son's  daughter,  wife's  daughter's 
daughter,  sister,  brother's  daughter,  sister's  daughter, 
father's  sister,  mother's  sister. 

Sec  2.  No  woman  shall  marry  her  father,  grand- 
father, son,  son's  son,  daughter's  son,  stepfather,  grand- 
mother's husband,  daughter's  husband,  son's  daughter's 
husband,  daughter's  daughter's  husband,  husband's  father, 
husband's  grandfather,  husband's  son,  husband's  son's 
son,  husband's  daughter's  son,  brother,  brother's  son, 
sister's  son,  father's  brother,  mother's  brother. 

Sec.  3.  If  any  man  or  woman  shall  intermarrj'  ■within 
the  degrees  aforesaid,  every  such  marriage  shall  be  null  and 


Marriage 
Laws. 


52  RHODE   ISLAND   LAWS 

void,  and  the  issue  thereof  shall  be  deemed  and  adjudged 
illegitimate  and  be  subject  to  all  the  disabilities  of  such 
issue. 

Sec.  4.  The  provisions  of  the  preceding  sections  shall 
not  extend  to,  or  in  any  way  affect,  any  marriage  which 
shall  be  solemnized  among  the  Jews,  within  the  degrees  of 
aflBnity  or  consanguinity  allowed  by  their  rehgion. 

Sec.  5.  AU  marriages  when  either  of  the  parties  has  a 
former  wife  or  husband  living  at  the  time  of  such  marriage, 
or  where  either  of  them  shall  be  an  idiot  or  lunatic  at  the 
time  of  such  marriage,  shall  be  absolutely  void;  and  no 
dower  shall  be  assigned  to  any  widow  in  consequence  of 
such  marriage,  and  the  issue  shall  be  deemed  illegitimate 
and  be  subject  to  all  the  disabiUties  of  such  issue. 

Sec.  18.  If  any  person  shall  have  any  lawful  objection 
to  the  marriage  of  any  two  persons  he  may  state  the  same 
in  writing,  under  his  hand,  to  the  minister,  elder,  justice, 
or  warden  about  to  solemnize  the  same,  whereupon  such 
minister,  elder,  justice,  or  warden  shall  proceed  no  further 
in  such  marriage  imtil  such  lawful  objection  be  removed. 


(In  some  cases,  certain  words  have  been  italicized  in  the 
laws,  in  order  to  emphasize  points  bearing  especially  upon 
the  health  of  infants.) 


APPENDIX 


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APPENDIX  C. 


Since  this  went  to  press,  an  official  report  by  Mr.  Henry 
J.  Harris,  Ph.  D.,  has  been  issued  by  the  U.  S.  Department 
of  Labor,  Children's  Bureau,  in  which  it  is  shown  that 
practically  aU  of  the  leading  countries  of  the  world,  ex- 
cepting our  own,  have  well-estabhshed  Maternity  Benefit 
systems. 

A  Bill,  recently  read  twice  before  the  U.  S.  Senate  and 
now  under  consideration  (S  3259),  seeks  to  provide  proper 
care  for  maternity  and  infancy  throughout  oiu-  country. 
In  this  it  is  proposed  that  the  Federal  Government  pay 
annually  to  each  State  a  sum  based  upon  its  population 
(plus  $10,000  for  administration)  providing  the  State  shall 
appropriate  annually  for  maternity  instruction  and  care 
a  sum  equal  to  the  first  named  Federal  appropriation — 
that  is,  the  Federal  Government  would  cooperate  with 
each  State  according  to  its  size,  on  a  50-50  basis. 

Thus  the  matter  has  now  become  a  question  for  definite 
consideration.  

The  recent  official  compilation  of  "Laws  relating  to 
Mothers'  Pensions  in  the  United  States,"  just  issued  by 
Miss  Laura  A.  Thompson  of  the  Children's  Bureau,  proves 
that  Rhode  Island  is  the  only  northern  State  which  gives 
no  aid  to  working  mothers. 


APPENDIX  55 

Only  eight  other  States,  all  southern,  were  without 
"mothers'  pension"  laws  at  the  close  of  the  legislative 
session  of  1919,  and  at  least  five  of  these  had  had  Bills 
under  consideration.  The  compilation  gives,  therefore, 
the  "mothers'  pension"  laws  which  are  now  in  force  in  39 
States — and  in  the  territories  of  Alaska  and  Hawaii. 


INDEX. 

Page 

Americanization 21-22 

Birth  registration 7,  29-35 

Blindness : 

Preventive  measures 7,  27-29 

Care  of  bUnd 8,  35-37 

Boarding  homes 7-8,  38-41 

Cattle,  Diseased 13,  48 

Deafness 35-37 

Eugenics 7,  9 

Eyes,  Care  of 7,  27-29 

ImbecUes 8-9,  35-37 

Infants : 

Infant  mortality 11 

Care  at  birth 7,  27-29 

Clinics  (Providence) 12-13 

Day  nurseries  (Providence) 18-19 

Instruction  in  care 12,  21-22,  54 

Malnutrition 15-17 


58  INDEX 

Marriage  Laws:  Page 

In  Rhode  Island 8,  9,  51-52 

Elsewhere 9 

Maternity  benefits 10-11,  13,  54 

Midwives : 

Duties 7,  27-29,  32 

License 37 

Training  in  Providence 12 

Milk 13-18,  41-51 

Licensing:    In  cities 14,  42-44 

In  towns 14,  45 

Duties,  of  inspectors 45-47,  50-51 

"    "    chief  of  police 51 

"     "    tradesmen 47 

Measures 41-42 

Adulteration 48-49 

Pastem-ization 17-18 

Care  of  jars 49-50 

Milk  stations  (Providence) 15-16 

Bacteria 18 

Mothers: 
Prospective: 

Local  aid 11-13 

Maternity  benefits 10-11,  54 


INDEX  59 

Mothers : — Concluded.  Page 

Instruction 12,  21-22,  54 

Working  mothers: 

Local  aid 18-19 

Mothers'  pensions 19-20,  54 

Nurses,  Duties  of 27-29 

Ophthalmia  neonatorum 27-28 

Physicians,  Duties  of 7,  27-29,  32 

Venereal  disease 7,  9 


E.  L.  Freeman  Company, 

Central  Falls,    Rhode  Island, 

December  15,  1919. 


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